Give threatened species a second chance!

Now that the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of
Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) has failed to agree on critical wildlife
protections for threatened animals – the U.S. must step in to
protect species like great apes, sea turtles, and tigers before we lose
them forever.

Expanded U.S. funding for international conservation efforts could give
these majestic species another chance for survival. Please, write
your representative today and urge them to approve vital funding for
conservation efforts overseas!

Recipients

Contact

If you take action and have not already registered, you will receive periodic updates and communications from Wildlife Conservation Society.

Message

Give threatened species a second chance!

Dear [Decision Maker],

As a constituent concerned about the plight of great apes, Irrawaddy dolphins and other global priority species in their natural habitats, I urge you to increase conservation funding directed overseas through the Biodiversity Program at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Multinational Species Conservation Funds at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the U.S. contribution to the Global Environment Facility (GEF).

With the failure of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in Doha, Qatar, to agree on protections for threatened species, these funds are more critical than ever.

The Biodiversity Program at USAID protects key landscapes around the world, such as the Congo Basin, the Amazon Basin, the Coral Triangle, and Southern Sudan's national parks. This international conservation program also addresses growing needs associated with economic development, climate change, global health, good governance, and national security. The Multinational Species Conservation Funds administered by the USFWS have helped to protect the Congo Basin's gorillas and other great apes of the world as well as African elephants, Asian elephants, rhinoceroses, tigers, and sea turtles. Similarly, the U.S. contribution to the GEF leverages contributions from other developed countries and recipient countries to fund large landscape level projects in the developing world to address significant conservation challenges related to habitat loss, desertification, and pollutants. Together these programs are essential to protecting the world's wildlife and wild places.

I urge you to support $350 million for the USAID Biodiversity Program, $175 million for the Global Environment Facility and $15 million for the USFWS Multinational Species Conservation Funds in the FY 2011 Budget. Should new funds for great cats, rare wild dogs and endangered cranes be enacted this year, please provide $2.5 million split evenly between these two funds. Your support will enable the delivery of vital resources to on-the-ground conservation projects and ensure a more secure environment for global priority species.